Sunday's Fantasy Baseball Pitching Streamer Rankings: Can Zach Eflin Find Success Against the Angels?
Five pitchers with good matchups on Sunday who are widely available in fantasy leagues.
I love baseball, but Sundays just aren't the same outside of the NFL season. At least there are always several baseball games on TV on a Sunday, but nothing beats an NFL Sunday with a full slate of games; it's what we live for as sports fans.
This is about fantasy baseball, though, so let's look at five starting pitchers in action on Sunday who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups. Most stats are from MLB.com, as are the probable starters. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.
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Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins @ Chicago White Sox
Alcantara is still owned in over half of leagues, but he's available enough that it's worth checking to see if you can pick him up. He hasn't been anything close to his old after missing all of 2024: Alcantara has given up 29 runs in 31 innings, walking 18 and striking out 23. Both his K and BB rates are much worse than league average, and Alcantara has an ERA over 8.00.
The White Sox are the team that can give him a reprieve, however, even if just for one day. They are in the bottom five in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. They are also at the edge of the top 10 in most batter strikeouts. Every pitcher becomes relevant in fantasy against Chicago.
Alcantara is a low- to mid-level streamer. He's untenable against most offenses right now, but we know Alcantara's ceiling is a Cy Young-level pitcher. He might not ever reach that level again, but it's something to remember when the matchup is right.
Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels vs. Baltimore Orioles
Anderson keeps on rolling. In nearly 220 innings over 2024-25, both his walk rate and strikeout rate have been worse than average, but it hasn't mattered, as he has an ERA around 3.60 in that time and has done some of the best pitching of his career. He started using his fastball and changeup more and cutter less last season, something that seems to have helped, and charting numbers in that link also show his fastball command has been better.
The Orioles continue to falter. They were swept by the Twins last week and sit close to 10 games under .500. The offense has been a major part of the problem, ranking in the bottom 10 in runs, hits, doubles, walks, batting average, and on-base percentage. Baltimore is unquestionably the most disappointing team so far this year, though there's a long way to go.
Anderson is a mid-level streamer. Again, his strikeout numbers have been below average, so I have a hard time bumping him up too high, but Anderson keeps having success, and the matchup is right.
Zach Eflin, Baltimore Orioles @ Los Angeles Angels
Eflin has been on the IL but returns to make the start here against the Angels. That means he is more available than he usually would be, so this might be a time to sneak in and grab Eflin when he has a good matchup with the intention of possibly keeping him.
The Angels are one of the bottom-feeders, both offensively and overall. They are in the bottom 10 in most areas, showing some power but not getting enough runners on base to do real damage. LA is a daily target.
Eflin is a mid- to high-level streamer. You never know what to expect with a guy returning for his first start after time off, but Elfin has a really nice ceiling, and he could have a big day against a bad team.
Reese Olson, Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers
The Rangers are as disappointing as the Orioles offensively, but at least they have a better record, within spitting distance of .500. This early in the season, with so many games to go, no one is really out of it (aside from the White Sox and Rockies, but that was true before the season even started). Texas is in the bottom 10 in most offensive categories, and their one bright spot, power, is starting to fade a little.
Olson is creeping toward being owned in half of leagues, gaining popularity in fantasy due to his above-average strikeout rate and ERA right around 3.00. He has a track record of sustained success, carrying similar numbers in 43 appearances (40 starts) across 2023-24. Olson might be a fantasy regular soon; I recommend picking him up to hold onto unless you have a strong pitching staff. He's a must-start player today.
Olson is a high-level streamer. The strikeouts give him a nice floor and ceiling, and the matchup is right for a big day.
Chad Patrick, Milwaukee Brewers @ Tampa Bay Rays
Patrick is 38 innings into his career (all this season) and has found immediate success. He has allowed just 13 runs with 12 walks and 32 strikeouts; both of those rates are just a hair lower than average. He did good strikeout work in the minors, so there's hope he can keep up at least an average rate.
Tampa Bay is closer to average than some of our other teams, but they can be targeted in the right situation. They struggle with power, ranking in the bottom 10 in doubles, triples, home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS. They are also in the top 10 in most batter strikeouts.
Patrick is a mid-level streamer. The matchup might be a little more good than great, but he has had success, and his strikeout work matches up well with Tampa's swing-and-miss ways.
Sunday's Streamer Rankings
- Reese Olson, DET
- Zach Eflin, BAL
- Chad Patrick, MIL
- Tyler Anderson, LAA
- Sandy Alcantara, MIA
